1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer and an information processing program storage medium storing therein an information processing program that is executed within that information processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer (hereinafter sometimes referred to, for example, as “the PC”), there are usually installed a number of application programs, and, in addition thereto, an operating system (OS). The OS is basic software that makes it possible to conveniently use the ability of the computer. It for example determines the interface between the PC or the like and the application programs, determines the schedule for using the resources the PC possesses and allots them, makes the input/output processing easy, executes error processing or the like.
This PC or the like has a state of sleep in which there is stopped the supply of the power to the parts other than a very small number of parts always needed to have the power turned on; and the OS installed thereon is in sleep, and an ordinary state of operation in which power is supplied to all the respective parts of the PC or the like and the OS therein is in operation. To operate the application programs in the PC or the like, it is necessary that that PC or the like be in the ordinary state of operation and thereby the OS therein be in the state of operation.
For this reason, in a case where the PC or the like is in its state of sleep, when attempting to perform some processing by the use of that PC or the like, it is necessary to once change the state of the PC or the like into the ordinary state of operation and then execute that processing. However, there is the problem that changing the PC or the like from the state of sleep to the ordinary state of operation (to start the PC) requires the use of a rather large amount of time that is as large as, for example, several minutes or around ten minutes and that, therefore, it is impossible to immediately use the PC or the like kept in the state of sleep. To avoid this problem, it is also considered available to adopt the measure to keep the PC or the like in the ordinary state of operation (to leave the PC or the like started up). However, in that case, it results that the state where power is being supplied to the respective parts of the PC or the like is maintained as is. This uselessly consumes the power and, especially in a case where power is being supplied from the batteries, causes the problem unable to make long use of the batteries.